Wine Access Unfiltered

After six years and 132 episodes, Wine Access Unfiltered takes its final sip. Eduardo Dingler and Laura Koffer of Wine Access, two friends who have been along for the ride since the very beginning, join Amanda to uncork a 2020 von Buhl Riesling Sekt and pull back the curtain on the show: the strangely intimate 2020 intake calls with celebrities stuck at home, the Bert Kreischer story that remains an all-time favorite, and why a listener’s heirloom coupe can outrank the “correct” glass. The conversation also wanders into how palates drift away from trophy bottles toward the $20 to $40 discovery zone, plus what lies ahead for podcast wine club members in the Discovery Club. Pour a glass of Brookdale Mason Road Syrah and raise it to the last round. This Week's Wine: Brookdale Mason Road Syrah Keep drinking with us via The Discovery Club A Note From Amanda: Posting this episode felt unbelievably bittersweet. I have such a deep love for this show and the conversations I’ve been fortunate to have and share with you over these last six years. I’m eternally grateful for your time, enthusiasm, feedback, and support. Truly, we could not have done this without you. I loved meeting so many of you in person, and I hope to meet plenty more down the line (please say hi!). The beauty of wine is that, like us, it is ever evolving with one constant: it has the power to bring people together. And that’s exactly what this show did. So I’ll leave you with a few parting asks:: continue to drink promiscuously, wander down the unfamiliar paths, stay curious, and trust that whatever wine journey you’re on is the right one. Until we meet again, friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Sicily a playful wine region that deserves to be taken seriously, or was it serious all along? Jeff Porter, Wine Enthusiast’s Italian wine reviewer, host of Sip Trip, and the wine director behind Del Posto’s legendary list, joins from his new home in Torino to tackle that question and plenty more. The conversation starts in southeastern Sicily with Nero d’Avola, Frappato, and Grillo, then heads north through Calabria, Campania, Abruzzo, and Emilia-Romagna. Along the way there are stops for Pignoletto, Lambrusco di Sorbara, a strong opinion on Tuscan bread, and the case for why Italy is in a golden age of wine. Pour a glass of the Cieck Erbaluce di Caluso, “a summer mountain hike in liquid form,” and settle in for the trip up the boot. This Week's Wine: 2025 Cieck Erbaluce di Caluso Piedmont 📦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the Unfiltered Podcast Wine Club⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 4 bottles per shipment hand selected by Amanda Delivered every 2 months (1 wine/episode) / 6x per year $120 + tax Shipping Included Cancel anytime 10% off all Wine Access purchases Follow us on social! IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@wineaccessunfiltered⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The nicest bottle in the cellar does not belong on the Thanksgiving table. Kaitlyn Rodriguez, the creator behind Mainline Gluten Free and Amanda's younger sister, joins for a holiday pairing game plan built on years of family feasts and a few hard-won mistakes. The playbook runs course by course: a magnum of Champagne poured and waiting at the door, appetizers as the moment to get adventurous, lighter reds and Côtes du Rhône for the roast and its thousand sides, and a single ounce of Madeira or tawny Port to close the night. Along the way, hear why bottle shape is a surprisingly reliable shopping cheat, why off-dry Riesling beats bone-dry at Thanksgiving, and how to host with a celiac at the table. This Week's Wine: 2017 Bodegas Casa Primicia Viña Diezmo RV Rioja Reserva Subscribe to Kaitlyn's Substack 📦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the Unfiltered Podcast Wine Club⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 4 bottles per shipment hand selected by Amanda Delivered every 2 months (1 wine/episode) / 6x per year $120 + tax Shipping Included Cancel anytime 10% off all Wine Access purchases Follow us on social! IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@wineaccessunfiltered⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Wine Mentions Heitz Cellar, Bella Oaks (Thanksgiving Magnum) Billecart-Salmon: the family's Champagne to kick off the day Gruet: the longtime non-Champagne sparkling favorite Famille Perrin and E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône: the party reds, from about $10 to $12 Cru Beaujolais: called the rosé of the fall Jura Chardonnay with a Jura cheese: the "try it with the cheese" appetizer pairing Chablis with caviar: the pick over Champagne Feinherb Riesling: the off-dry white for the Thanksgiving table McCollister Estates: New Jersey Cabernet Franc from friends Dan and Kelly's home vineyard in Southampton, NJ. They also make a Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain, Napa Valley Dessert Wines Klein Constantia Vin de Constance: South African dessert wine Madeira, Sauternes, late harvest Riesling, and 10 or 20 year tawny Port Restaurants & Bars Birdie's, Austin: wine pairings at the bar, plus Madeira with an ice cream sundae South Philly Barbacoa, Philadelphia: the leftovers paired with the Rioja Other Mentions Storied Goods: the Champagne sugar cubes Gabriel-Glas StandArt glasses: go-to universal wine glasses Target Wine Glasses (French Style) Krusteaz Gluten Free Honey Cornbread mix Erlenmeyer flasks as decanters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A year ago, packing tips for my mother-in-law's first wine trip to Europe turned into a full episode. So when Amanda found she was heading to Sicily herself for her first-ever visit, we decided a follow-up episode was in order. And this time, we're shifting gears to help give you a little insight into how the research actually gets done: hunting down the nicest hotel in a neighborhood to find the good, cheaper options nearby, mining wine lists at restaurants for producers worth chasing, and handing an entire photographed closet over to AI for itinerary-based outfit planning. There's also a wine-world catch-up on Champagne's earliest harvest on record, a rare one-time bump to its legal alcohol ceiling, and the case for a marathon that trades water stations for wine and food. Pour a glass of the Maison Chanzy Bourgogne Rouge and get ready to over-research a place not yet visited. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Portugal has been on the docket for a while, and it finally gets the right guest: Nicole Muscari, the wine educator and content creator behind Grape Chic, who has made the trip 22 times since 2019 and now owns a place in Porto. We're digging into the friendly Porto-vs-Lisbon rivalry — Porto's grit and cobblestones read like New York, Lisbon's sprawl and beaches read more L.A. — then heads into the Douro Valley to make the case for its dry reds and mineral whites, not just port. There's also a detour to Colares, a DOC so small its vines still grow ungrafted in sand. Pastel de nata debates, football pride, and a real argument for booking that direct flight all make an appearance. This Week's Wine: 2022 Altitude by Duorum Douro Mentions and Links Wines & Producers Altitude by Duorum — the episode's featured Douro red, a blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, and Tinta Cão. Alvarinho (Vinho Verde) — worth seeking out in its age-worthy, lees- or barrel-aged styles, not just the light spritzy version. Arinto — coastal, salty white from the Lisbon region, sometimes given Chardonnay-style oak and lees aging. Colares DOC (Malvasia whites, Ramisco reds) — a roughly 22-hectare appellation near Cascais growing pre-phylloxera vines in sand. Restaurants & Bars — Porto de Lima's Wine Bar — opened by Rafael de Lima in the historic center. Blind Pony — speakeasy right next door. Fauno — small tasting-menu spot with wine pairings. Cozinha das Flores — strong wine list with rare back-vintage Portuguese bottles. Prova — wine bar with deep, well-curated allocations. Casa Guedes — go-to for the roast pork and Serra da Estrela cheese sandwich. Arco das Verdades — cliffside wine bar with natural/biodynamic small-producer bottles and river views. Pedro Lemos — Michelin-starred restaurant with a standout cellar. Taylor's — Port house recommended for its educational tour. Casa de Chá da Boa Nova — two-Michelin-star restaurant on the water. Fábrica da Nata — favorite pastel de nata. Taberninha do Manel (sister restaurant Adega do Manel) — riverside Gaia spot for amêijoas à Bulhão Pato and francesinha. Gazela — the cachorrinhos (Porto-style hot dogs) spot Anthony Bourdain once featured. Bomfim 1896 — Michelin-recommended. Libatio — Nicole's pick for the city's best wine bar. Douro Valley The Vintage House — hotel in Pinhão, a good base for exploring the valley. Vinho Verde Town of Amarante — medieval town with an old bridge, worth the detour. Monverde Wine Resort — modern wine hotel with floor-to-ceiling views over the vines. Lisbon Black Sheep — favorite wine bar Pastéis de Belém — the original pastel de nata bakery. Bar Alimentar Imprensa Cocktail Bar Prado Wine Bar Bifanas do Afonso — for the classic Lisbon bifana sandwich. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices